College Life
by Akaina-Skye
Summary: REWRITE: Ed leaves his family in Resembol to enter a college in Central City where he learns to become a science major. While in Central City he meets his new friends and starts something new. Unfortunately, with new friends comes new feelings and some things are sometimes best hidden from families. RoyXEd
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FMA… sad for me lol

**Title: **A New College Life

**Pairing: **Roy x Ed

**Summary: **Ed leaves his family in Resembol to enter a college in Central City where he learns to become a science major. While in Central City he meets his new friends and starts something new. Unfortunately, with new friends comes new feelings and some things are sometimes best hidden from families.

**Info: **AU. Ed has real limbs. Everyone in here is in their twenty's for ages. Trisha is still alive in this story and their dad left when they were younger.

Chapter One: The Beginning

"Are you really sure that you need to go to school in Central, dear?" An older woman asked as she watched her eldest son put books into a large box. "It's so far away."

"Mom, I promise that I will return to visit when I have time," Ed replied, placing another book into the box. "You know that I love you guys but I want to learn more."

"Edward, please, there's so much for you here," Trisha tried to reason with him. "What about Winry? Don't you want to stay for her?"

Ed chuckled. "Al's in love with her, mom. They've been going out for a while now."

Sighing, she turned to leave the room but felt the arms of her son wrap around her waist before she could.

"We're going to miss you, Ed." She said quietly, patting his head.

"I'll miss you, too," he replied, squeezing her a bit before letting go and getting back to closing his last box.

"Let me feed you before you go, Eddie," she chuckled before heading down the stairs.

"Mom! Don't call me that!" Ed yelled after her as he followed with the last box to pack. It was a nickname that Winry has given him when they were all kids and he hated it very much. He stepped into the kitchen to find his mom and brother standing by the stove making dinner. "You need any help?"

Al laughed. "You can't cook, brother."

"I can cook enough to keep me alive and that's all I need until I find someone to cook for me," Ed replied, sitting at the table and sticking his tongue out at his brother.

Their dinner went from Alphonse picking on his brother about how he couldn't cook to his brother breaking down in tears when anyone mentioned Ed leaving. It had been the three of them since the boys were small and their father had left them. Even though, Pinako and their friend Winry who lived down the street visited often, they spent most of their time just the three of them. Ed learned everything he could from his mother and even more from the books he read in their father's old study whenever he wasn't in school. He would have liked to just stay at home with his family but he knew that he needed to get out of the house and explore the world outside their home. It wasn't as if he didn't like his home, he just wanted to learn more than what he already knew. After his visit in Central, he just knew that he wanted to go to school there and learn more.

**A Year Earlier**

"_Come on, Edo-kun," a blonde guy said, slinging his arm around Ed's shoulders. "I'll show you around campus."_

"_Jean, I don't even go to school here, I'll get kicked out," Ed whined slightly, trying to pull out of Jean's grasp. "I don't really want a bad reputation before I start school here."_

"_You worry too much," his friend laughed, pulling him into the courtyard of the campus. "I'll introduce you to my friends."_

_Ed sighed and let his friend pull him through the schoolyard. He didn't really care one way or the other about meeting the other guys or not, seeing how he was going home in two days. The only reason he was at the school now was because he had to finish filling out the paperwork for enrollment and find a place to live. He still needed to go back home to pack and move all of his things to his new apartment in Central. Though, Jean did offer to help him move in once he had gotten back to Central._

_Watching his surroundings, he ignored the jabbering that Jean was doing while dragging him further into the campus. Teachers greeted them like he was a student, surprising Ed but there really wasn't anything telling them that he wasn't a student. Suddenly, he felt himself being pulled to his left, stumbling slightly as he wasn't paying attention to his feet. Turning his head, he saw four other guys standing by a large fountain laughing away._

"_Hey guys," Jean greeted them, letting Ed go when they reached them. "Sorry it took me longer to get here but I had to search for my friend here."_

_The four guys turned to look at Ed, surprised written on their faces._

"_Jean, you wouldn't?" The shorter chubbier one said, glancing up at the taller blonde._

"_Please say you aren't," The dark haired man with glasses whined, slightly, turning to look at Jean as well._

"_Oh my god, guys, I'm not screwing the guy," Jean yelled, throwing his hands up in the air. "He's just a friend."_

_Ed's cheeks flared slightly at the way Jean as stated his first sentence. 'Did his friend's really think that?' He thought to himself, mentally shaking his head. Looking up at Jean's friends, he saw that they were all laughing at what they had done to Jean._

"_Calm down, buddy, we're just messing with ya," the dark-haired man said, turning his dark eyes down onto Ed. "We know you're really into the girl at the café."_

"_Her name is Melissa, if you don't mind," Jean scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Anyway, let me introduce you to Ed. Ed, this is Breda (pointing to the first one to talk), this is Maes (pointing to the second one to talk), this is Roy, he's a player be careful," Jean whispered the last part into Ed's ear. "And this here is Alex, he's a bit of a muscle head but he's harmless. Guys, this is Ed, he's gonna start school here soon."_

_They all greeted each other and spent the rest of the afternoon talking and chatting away before each of them had to go to their own classes. However, Ed was left standing in the courtyard of the campus with Roy, the man Jean had warned him about. Not that he would ever have to worry about the player part of it, he figured it was another joke that Jean was playing on him._

"_Jean's a real pain in the ass sometimes," Roy mused, scratching the back of his head. "I don't see how you put up with him all of the time."_

_Ed laughed at his statement. "It's quite easy when you can tune out some of the stuff he says when he starts to drone on about certain issues."_

_Roy chuckled. "Man, I wish I could do that."_

_Checking his watch, Ed noticed that it was getting closer to eight. Sighing, he turned to look up at the man standing next to him. "I gotta get back to the hotel soon; my brother will murder me if I don't check in with him."_

"_Brother?"_

"_Yeah, got a younger brother, about a year younger but worries about me just like a mother," Ed explained, laughing slightly. "I think he would kill me for not checking in with him before mom would."_

_Roy laughed. "Sounds like real brotherly love there."_

"_I guess, it gets overwhelming sometimes, especially when it comes to going out," Ed sighed, turning to head out of the courtyard._

"_Mind if I tag along, I don't have any more classes for the night and my apartment isn't too far from here," the dark haired man asked before Ed could get too far away._

_Ed thought for a moment then nodded. He didn't think anything bad would come of his joining him, besides a bit of company would keep him from being lonely. _

"_You can tell me more about yourself then, since all Jean talks about is Melissa," Roy said, slinging his bag over his shoulder as he followed Ed off campus._

"_Really isn't too much to tell," Ed said honestly, shrugging. "I live at home with my mom and brother, dad left when we were young and just hasn't come back yet. I breezed through all of my learning, apparently mom thinks I am some sort of genius."_

"_I bet you are, Shorty."_

_This little comment sent Ed chasing Roy down the streets of Central, gaining strange looks from the others on the streets but he didn't mind he was having fun chasing the man down._

** Present Day **

After packing the last box in the trunk of the taxi waiting outside, Ed turned and gave one last hug to his brother and one to his mother. Promising to call them once he was in Central and settled in his new place, he closed the door to the taxi. He waved out the window to his family as the taxi drove off toward the next phase of his life. He would be there by the next afternoon and he would meet Jean outside the apartment building to help unload all of the boxes but for now he leaned against the window and fell asleep.

It didn't feel that long before the taxi came to a dead stop that jostled Ed awake. He sat up and looked out the window to find Jean smiling and waving at him. Ed paid the taxi driver and got out to unload his boxes from the trunk.

"Did you get my keys for me?" Ed asked, pulling the last box from the trunk and sitting it on the sidewalk.

"Not even a hello," Jean pouted, faking a sad face. "I waited for you all afternoon."

"Shut up, Jean, you make it sound like you were getting ready for a date or something." He gave his friends a glare, folding his arms over his chest. "Did you get them or not?"

"Yea, yea." Jean waved the keys in front of Ed's face before helping him into the empty apartment. "Geez, Ed, you couldn't pick a first floor apartment or allow me to use the elevator."

"We only climbed the stairs a few times and no, I didn't want to use the elevator because you smell." Ed explained, laughing as he set the last box on the floor behind the couch.

"It's your fault."

"Go shower."

Jean stood and shook his head. "Nah, I don't have anything to change into and you're so small that nothing would fit me." The next thing Jean knew, Ed was attacking him with the pillow off the couch left by the landlord for him to use.

Ed knocked Jean to the floor, straddling his friend as he tried his best to knock him in the face with the pillow. After a few minutes of pummeling, Ed laid on the floor next to Jean with them both laughing.

"That's it, you can't use my shower." Ed said, between each laugh. "Walk home sticky now and get ready to go to class."

"So mean." Jean stood and helped Ed up off the floor. "Do you need any help unpacking?"

"Nah, you go ahead and go. I'll be fine here by myself," Ed replied, brushing off his pants and putting the pillow back on the couch. "Besides, I have to call Al before he finds his way here and murders me."

After Jean left, Ed was left in his own apartment, staring at all of the unopened boxes. He hated packing his things but he hated unpacking them even more. Even though he didn't have everything he owned with him, he had the majority of it and most of his things were books that he was given or bought on his own. Reading was a passion for him and one of the few things he could do just about anywhere he wanted to but right now he hated reading. With all the books he owned, he wasn't sure if he had enough room to put them all out. Sighing, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed the number for his mom. He figured that he would call her and talk to her while he began unpacking his things.

**Elric Resident.**

"Hey, mom, it's Ed." He grabbed the first box in front of him and moved to the room that was going to be his study and set the box on the floor, knowing that books were in this box.

**Eddie, how was the trip?**

His eye twitched at the nickname. "Fine, just got here like an hour ago, my friend helped me get everything in the apartment."

**Glad to hear you're safe. I got the truck to pick up the rest of your stuff from your room to bring to you so that might still be a few days until you get it.**

"Thanks, mom, I knew I wouldn't be able to bring everything on the first run," he stated, opening the box and pulled out a few books. "Tell Al that I got here safe so he can stop worrying."

**I will when he gets home. He's over with Winry at Pinako's.**

"Winry's? What's he doing over there?" Ed threw the box in the corner of the room and started putting the books onto the shelf that was already in the room. "Has he told her yet that he likes her?" He heard his mom laughing on the other end of the phone, knowing that he had hit something with her.

**Not yet, I don't think but she is starting to guess.**

Laughing, Ed switched ears for his phone before speaking again. "I bet she is, she isn't as dumb as she looks," he said, still chuckling as he finished putting the books away. "He'll tell her eventually, I think. He won't be able to hide that for too much longer not without me being there for his excuse when he got nervous."

**That's so true. **He heard his mom chuckle. **Oh, he's home. Do you want to talk to him?**

"No, I'll call back later this week and talk to him, I have a busy week here with starting my job and finishing the stuff for school," he replied, walking from the study back into the living room.

**Okay, sweetie, I'll tell Al you are fine. I love you.**

"Love you, too. Good night," Ed said before hanging up and placing his phone on the counter by the stove. "And now to finish packing and go to bed."

The rest of the evening, Ed spent unpacking the boxes that sat in his living room and putting everything where he thought it should go. He knew he wouldn't really be able to fix up his apartment until the rest of his stuff like his bed got there. For now, he did the best he could before he found himself laying down on the couch that was already there and falling asleep.

**AN: This is chapter 1…. What do you think? Ed in college is going to be coming up, don't worry the whole RoyxEd will come into play soon. I promise! I'll try to be quicker with the updates on this one compared to some of my other ones. PLEASE review! I update depending on reviews ^^**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I am sorry if I take a bit to upload things, my kitten is super sick and I have to take care of her! :( Here is chapter 2!**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FMA… sad for me lol

**Title: **A New College Life

**Pairing: **Roy x Ed

**Summary: **Ed leaves his family in Resembol to enter a college in Central City where he learns to become a science major. While in Central City he meets his new friends and starts something new. Unfortunately, with new friends comes new feelings and some things are sometimes best hidden from families.

**Info: **AU. Ed has real limbs. Everyone in here is in their twenty's for ages. Trisha is still alive in this story and their dad left when they were younger.

Chapter Two

It had been a whole year since he was last at the school and to tell the truth he was a bit nervous. The only friend he really had here in Central was Jean and he was always with Melissa or talking about the girl. It was getting a bit annoying whenever they were together but it was either that or spend the nights alone. So to remedy that he had lined himself up with a job once he knew his class schedule. It was at a small car repair shop by the college and only part time. His mother was helping him with paying for school so he didn't need the money but it was more so he wasn't bored that he had gotten the job.

Sighing, he got up from the couch and pulled his hair back into a simple pony tail before heading out to look around before he'd have to officially start college soon. Locking the door behind him, he shoved his hands and keys into the pockets of his jeans and made his way down the busy streets. He figured he looked to see if he could find the library, probably the place he would spend most of his time when he wasn't working or at home. The busy streets of Central were full of people, buying and selling their merchandise and with cars driving up and down trying to get to their destinations. People bumped into each other with small nods and mumbles of sorry under their breath as they rushed along. He didn't mind much as he knew what it could be like to be in a rush while in a crowded area. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a girl standing right outside bakeshop that was supposed to sell the best tasting pies in all of Central.

Making his way to the shop, he saw a familiar face chatting away with the brunette, a smile on both their faces. He walked up to them, smelling the wonderful aroma that wafted out from the open door. A smile replaced the straight face that he had been making while he walked. Just one time he'd like to buy one of the pies from here and taste it to see if the rumors he had heard were true. His actions must've caught the man's attention that he recognized because he soon had an arm slung around his neck pulling him from his thoughts.

"Hey, Edo, I didn't know you were here already," Maes laughed, ruffling his hair.

"Let go, Maes," Ed said, pulling out of the man's grip and smiling at him.

"Have you come to try one of my sweet Gracia's pies?" The man questioned, smiling at the girl who was now blushing.

"I'd love to but I haven't got any money on me at the moment," he replied, "maybe next time."

"You may taste a piece of the sample pie, if you'd like." Gracia offered, smiling sweetly. "I truly don't mind and any friend of Maes is a friend of mine."

Maes happily smiled and was jumping around.

Laughing, Gracia smiled at Ed. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Gracia Lane. I bake everything here at the shop. My mother owns the place but cannot bake anything."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Edward Elric, I just enrolled in college with Jean and Maes."

"Please, follow me, I'll get you a piece and maybe Maes will calm down a bit," she laughed as she led the two boys into the bakery for a piece of pie.

Ed's jaw dropped as he entered the bakery, there was so many types of pies and cakes. It amazed him that one person could do so much by themselves. He stared at the desserts in the glass case beneath the register.

"You really shouldn't let your mouth hang open like that," a voice said from his left where the entrance was, jarring Ed from his staring contest. "Someone might take it as an invitation."

Closing his mouth, Ed stood quickly and glared at the guy by the door. "What are you saying?" When he looked as saw that it was Roy, Jean's player friend, he shook his head and moved to follow Maes and Gracia.

Roy chuckled and followed him back to the table where the two were now sitting. "Good morning, Gracia."

"Hello Roy, how are you doing today?" Gracia smiled as she placed a piece of pie in from Ed and Maes. "Shouldn't you be getting ready for class?"

"It's just orientation so it's not that important, besides I was coming to find Maes and I should've known he was scarfing down some of you delicious pie." Roy laughed as he watched Maes make faces as he ate.

Gracia shook her head. "Sit, I can give you a piece as well. Edward, this is my apple pie."

Ed looked down at his place. It looked amazing. He smiled at her before he took a bit. "Oh wow, Gracia, this is amazing." He continued to eat the pie happily.

"Thank you," she said, grateful that she had made another person happy with her baking. "It's so nice to meet the friends of Maes and Roy. How long have you known each other?"

Ed sat back in his chair and looked at the other two guys. "Actually, this is only the second time I've seen them. It was last year when I came to visit that I first met them. Jean, I've known for a lot longer than these two but they seem alright."

"They are good boys. Maes is the best," Gracia smiled as she looked at her boyfriend chatting with Roy. "Roy on the other hand can be trouble."

"So I've heard." Ed laughed, standing up from the table and stretching. "I think I could eat your pies every day."

"That wouldn't be healthy, Ed," she said, getting up as well and turning to look at the other. "You boys should get the orientation before you guys get in any more trouble than you're already in."

"You're always right," Maes laughed before standing, placing a kiss on Gracia's cheek and dragging Roy from the shop with him. "Don't fatten him up too much, Gracia, your pies are addictive."

"Don't you have orientation as well, Ed?"

"Me? No, my classes don't start until next week," he replied, rubbing his stomach. "I've already gotten my orientation packet and such from the teachers in the mail because I wasn't sure if I'd make it here on time to go. Lucky me, I guess."

"Perhaps," Gracia smiled, piling the plates up to begin cleaning. "What are you planning on doing for the rest of the day?"

"Not really sure, I was going to look about and see if I could find a library."

"There is one on campus but I would take someone with you because that place is rather large and it's easy to get lost," she said, before taking the plates back to the kitchen. When she returned she motioned for him to sit again and he followed.

"Maybe I'll do that tomorrow then and have one of the guys show me around." Ed said, scratching his head. "How much do you know about the guys?"

"Well," she sighed, sitting back in her chair. "Maes and I have been together since we were little kids, so him I know the best. I met Roy when the two were about 15. He was so sweet when he was younger then he reached puberty and I swear he became so wild," she laughed at the thought. "I never saw a boy into so many things at once until I saw him at his junior prom. There were so many pretty people there, boys and girls both."

"What do you mean both?"

"Roy is bi-sexual, Ed, he likes both boys and girls."

"That explains why Jean warned me about him being a player," he said, nodding. "But that doesn't explain why he told me, I mean, it's not like I'm into guys or anything."

"You'd be surprised," she replied, chuckling. "I've seen Roy turn straight guys gay quicker than a blink of an eye. Besides, you are very attractive and I'd say probably his type."

Ed blushed a bit and turned away. "Thanks… I'll keep that in mind."

"Don't be embarrassed, Ed, he has a certain effect on a lot of people. Anyway, Jean, I met not long after I met Roy and they are an odd paid. Jean finds a pretty girl and then Roy steals her away. I'm actually surprised that Roy hasn't swept Melissa off her feet yet and away from Jean." She chuckled, glancing at Ed who was now standing by the window. "I guess he found someone else to stare at. Breda, I met not too long ago so I don't know too much about him yet."

"Thanks."

"No problem, also, Maes is going out with the guys next Friday for Roy's birthday. If you want to tag along, I'm sure they won't mind and he's really bad at reminding people about things like that," she said as she stood to go into the kitchen. "Don't worry about getting him anything."

"Birthday?" He looked at her a bit puzzled.

"Yes, I believe it's next Wednesday but they'll go out Friday so they can sleep if off on Saturday," she chuckled, covering her mouth a bit.

Ed glanced at the clock on the wall and swore. "I'm sorry, Gracia, I nearly forgot I had to work tonight." He said as he ran out the door. "I'll come by later."

Ed raced down the street, determined not to be anywhere near late for his first day of work. The thoughts of the day were whirling around in his head, confusing him and surprising him both. He hadn't really expected to learn so much about the guys in a just a little bit talking to Gracia and he was sure that there was much more to learn from them once he got the chance. When he reached the mechanics shop, his new boss was standing outside putting the trash out into the small garbage bin. He followed the man into the shop, trying his hardest to concentrate on everything the man was saying to him. One thought kept getting his minds focus, one thought that he wished he could forget until later when he alone so he could really think.

_Roy…_

A new life, a new job and new friends, an adventure he was taking on and he was worried that he might just end up going crazy because of it. Shaking his head, he focused on everything that was being shown to him. Tomorrow was another day and a good day he hoped it would be.

**AN: This is chapter 2…. Sorry not much on the RoyEd storyline in this one but I figured it might be a good thing to introduce the ever loved Gracia into the story. Really not when they all met but this is my version and don't know when their bdays are either. Oh well, I get to pick them now haha. Please Review and tell me what you think! It'll get better I promise ^_^**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'd like to note that I have never actually gone to college so if there is anything that anyone can clue me in on please be kind! :D Also, I have previously had this story written out up to chapter 12 but as I reread this I find that there are many mistakes and the timelines don't really work so I will be rewriting this with the basics of what is already written. I shouldn't really have any issues writing up the chapters so I will be happy with the reviews that I get but the more the merrier! :D**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FMA… sad for me lol

**Title: **A New College Life

**Pairing: **Roy x Ed

**Summary: **Ed leaves his family in Resembol to enter a college in Central City where he learns to become a science major. While in Central City he meets his new friends and starts something new. Unfortunately, with new friends comes new feelings and some things are sometimes best hidden from families.

**Info: **AU. Ed has real limbs. Everyone in here is in their twenty's for ages. Trisha is still alive in this story and their dad left when they were younger.

Chapter Three

The first day at anything new never seems easy, the garage had shoved so much information into his head that he was afraid that he wouldn't remember it all while he was going to school. Pulling his keys from his pocket, he opened the door to his apartment, walked in and closed the door behind him. Falling onto the couch, he sighed as he curled up on the couch and closed his eyes. Reaching behind his head he pulled the band holding his hair out and threw it onto the table in front of the couch. He sat up slowly and ran his hands through his hair, feeling the sweat that soaked each strand. Sighing, pushed himself off of the couch and removed his jacket before moving to the bathroom. On the way, he glanced up at the clock and cringed when he saw what time it was.

9:45 PM

"Damn," he swore, "I still have to call Al tonight."

After stripping off his clothes, he turned on the water and stepped into the shower. The hot water washed over his body, running down his back and into the tub below. His aching muscles reveled in the feeling of the hot water, releasing their tension. He stared at the ceiling above him with his back facing the shower head. All of the information from the day was running through his mind. He really hoped that things would get easier for him, he wasn't aware of how much trouble having Jean as a friend could be especially with the friends he came with. Though, he enjoyed the friendship and everything it came with, it was just not something that he was used to. Stepping from the shower, a frown covered his face as he dried himself off. As he rubbed his hair with a towel he moved into his bedroom, dressed for bed and moved to the living room. He sat on his couch and pulled his phone out to ring his brother.

**Elric residence, Alphonse speaking.**

"Hey brother," Ed said, still rubbing the towel in his hair before pulling a comb through it. "Sorry I called late, I was at work."

**A job?**

"Yea, at a garage," Ed chuckled. "Don't tell Winry, she'll murder me."

Al laughed. **I won't tell her, brother. Mom and I were going through some old photos to put in some albums and found some of us on vacation when we were younger.**

"Please tell me that you burned them," he whined, sitting the comb on the table next to him. "How are you and mom doing so far?"

**We are doing alright. Mom worries a lot and it hasn't been that long since you've gone, **Al replied. **I've been working with Winry to teach her how to cook. She's scary when she cooks. Not as scary as she can be when she's working on anything mechanical.**

"I can only imagine," Ed laughed before sighing and running his fingers through his hair. "Listen, I'll try my best to call more often but once I start school it'll be hard."

**Just call when you can. I'll let mom know how you are doing.**

Before he could say anything else there was knock on the door. "Al, I have to go someone's here."

**Alright, I love you.**

"Love you, too, Al." He hung up the phone, sat it on the table and moved to answer the door. When he opened the door he was confused to see who his visitor was. "Roy? How'd you get my address?"

"Good evening, Ed," Roy greeted as he moved passed Ed and into his apartment. "I got your address from Jean."

_Damn you, Jean. _"It's late, Roy, shouldn't you be at home?"

"Edo, it's only ten, the night hasn't even started yet," he said, waving a bottle of clear liquid in front of Ed's face. "Let's have a bit of fun."

"Um, I don't think so," was his reply as he closed the door and waved Roy off but Roy was already in the kitchen looking for glasses. "They're in the cupboard above the sink but I don't want any."

Roy, ignoring the younger man's protests, pulled two glasses out of the cupboard and pouring the beverage into the glasses. He carried the glasses and bottle over to the couch and sat them upon the coffee table before taking a seat.

"Might I ask why you are here? Don't you have a girlfriend or something to see?"

Roy took a swig of his glass and handed the other to Ed, who politely took it but just watched the dark haired man.

"You look good with your hair down, Edo." The man responded, ignoring his question. "You should keep it that way."

"Thanks but you haven't answered by question," Ed stated as he brought the glass up to his nose and took a sniff. He made a face before taking a little sip.

"Well," Roy smiled at Ed. "Maes is with Gracia and Jean is with Melissa, the others have finals early tomorrow so they are already in bed or studying."

"Don't like being alone?"

"Does anyone?" Roy asked, glancing over at the blond. "You live here by yourself with your family back home, trust me; it'll get lonely coming home to an empty place after a while."

Nodding, Ed made a face at the drink before taking another sip. "What is this stuff?"

"It's Vodka, Ed, haven't you ever had a drink before?" Roy raised his eyebrow while watching Ed take a swig of his drink.

"No, never; mom never kept any of this stuff in the house after dad left," Ed explained, holding the drink in his lap and staring at the floor. "She never wanted Al or I to drink it after what he did."

After a bit of silence, Roy managed to get Ed to try the drink and it ended up with the blond having about three drinks before the awkward moment passed between the two. They laughed together and watched a movie, which when drunk, was more hilarious than any movie would've been sober. He knew his mother would kill him if she found out what he was doing but he figured it was a one-time experience so why not. After a bit, Ed placed his half empty glass onto the coffee table and tried to push himself up but he found that his arm was being restrained.

"Roy," he semi-whined turning to look at the man. "Let go. I have to pee."

It only took a few moments to get himself free of Roy's grip and into the bathroom. He used the toilet, washed his hands and splashed a bit of water on his face. His head felt weird but he figured that was the effect of the alcohol. When he opened the door of the bathroom he was greeted by a smiling Roy Mustang. During the time Ed was in the bathroom, Roy had apparently thought it appropriate to remove his shirt and was now only dressed in his jeans. Before Ed could even say anything he felt himself being pulled into the hallway and into a tight embrace.

"Uh, Roy, are you alright?" Ed asked, his face pressed into the man's chest; his scent nearly taking over Ed's brain.

"You're cute," he heard Roy say before the man's legs gave way causing Ed to wrap his arms around Roy's waist to hold him up.

"Roy… you're heavy," Ed squeaked out as he was pressed up against the wall by Roy. "Come on, Roy, give me the bottle."

Ed made a grab for the bottle that swung by Roy's side.

"You want more?" Roy slurred, putting one hand onto the wall to push himself up a bit as he brought the bottle to his lips and took a swig.

"I don't really think that would be a good idea," he replied, standing up as much as the other would allow.

Before Ed could move away, Roy had leaned down and pressed his lips to his own, surprising the young man. Ed's golden eye's widened to nearly twice their size at the feeling of the man's lips against his own. He has never been kissed before and he had never imagined that his first would be taken by a man, a drunken man nonetheless. Reaching up, he pushed the man away from him only to have him drop his head against his shoulder.

"Roy…"

The only response that he received was a quiet snore, causing Ed to lean his head back rather quickly against the wall behind him.

"Come on," he sighed, rubbing the back of his head before moving to lift Roy up as much as he could. "I'll let you sleep here tonight and maybe you won't remember this in the morning."

He slowly carried him to this bedroom and dropped him on the bed. Peeling the bottle from his grasp, he covered the man up and then went into the living room to lie on the couch. Pulling an extra blanket over his own body, he closed his eyes. _This is going to be an odd friendship, _he thought to himself before turning over and willing himself to sleep.

Morning came too quick for the young man sleeping on the couch. He was woken up by the ringing of his cell phone. Without getting up, he reached onto the coffee table and felt around until he found his cell phone.

"Hello?" He answered, his voice full of sleep and hangover.

**Ed? Is Roy over there? **Maes' voice sounded on the other end of the phone. **It's nearly ten in the morning. **

"Ten?!" Ed sat up in surprise, regretting his decision once he did so. "Is it that time already?" He ignored the fact that it seemed like everyone was finding out where he lived and what his number was without his permission.

**Yes, it's ten in the morning. Is he there or not?**

"Shit, yea he's here, he's in bed," he replied, rubbing his head. "Why?"

**In bed? **Maes questioned but didn't give Ed enough time to explain. **He has a final at eleven and I wanted to make sure he wasn't late. **

Ed groaned as he stood and made his way to his bedroom. "Roy, wake up," Ed yelled as he shook the man. "C'mon, you need to wake up." No reaction. "Maes, I'll get him to class on time. I'm sure he'll have a hangover when he wakes up."

**Hangover? In bed? What the heck happened last night, Edo?**

"He came over last night because he was lonely since you guys were out," he replied as he made his way into the kitchen for a glass of water. "He came with a bottle of Vodka and he drank until he passed out."

**Oh dear, well, just be careful around him.**

Nodding, Ed sighed as he stood over the sleeping man. "Look I can explain more later, if you want but I promise that I'll get him to class on time." With that he hung up the phone and moved back into his bedroom where he found Roy pushing himself up into a seated position with his head in his hands.

"Rough night," Ed asked as he moved over to the bed and handed the glass of water to Roy. He half expected to get something thrown at him since he woke with a hangover but he was pleasantly surprised when he received a smile.

"No, more like rough morning," Roy responded, taking a sip of the offered water. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," he replied as he moved to the closet to get something to wear. "Maes called and said you have a final at eleven that you are not to be late for."

"Shit."

"Here." Ed tossed him a shirt. "This may be a little tight but your other clothes smell of alcohol and I don't think you want to show up for a final reeking of that."

"Thanks again," Roy said, smiling as he pulled the shirt on before getting off the bed and stretching. "Where's the rest of the Vodka?"

Ed shook his head as stepped out of the closet fully dressed. "You aren't going to drink anymore of that this morning," he said, making his way passed his bed to the door. "Come on, you're going to be late if you don't get going."

"I wasn't going to drink anymore of it, Edo-kun," Roy's voice was now very close to him as he felt the man standing behind him with a hand on the closed door.

_Remember what Jean told you and remember what Maes said… He's a player, Ed. _Sighing, Ed turned to look at Roy. "You need to get to class."

"I'll make it in time. Don't worry," Roy said, leaning down very close to Ed. Slowly, he moved forward and pressed his lips against to Ed's, once again surprising the young man. The kiss only lasted for a moment but it was a moment that was imprinted on Ed's brain. "I'm sorry for last night."

That last bit left Ed speechless and the rest of the morning went smoothly, if not a bit awkward for Ed. On the way to the final, they argued about how Ed should wear his hair. Ed would pull it back, even in just a high pony tail, and Roy would pull the band out and run off. He chased him nearly the whole way to class with his hair down before he caught him and go the band back. Pulling his hair back, Ed bid the man farewell once they reached the gates of the school.

"I'll see you later, Edo-kun," Roy yelled as he ran onto campus.

Ed waved and shook his head, deciding to head back home and nurse the hangover before having to go to work. _I don't know if I can handle everything right now, _he thought to himself. _I need to be more aware when I am around Roy. _

**AN: This is chapter 3… Here's a bit of RoyxEd in here for ya, not the best chapter but yeah. I will try to get another chapter up by the end of the week. Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks to everyone for reviewing for reviewing! I love you all and your reviews make writing and posting each chapter worth all the effort ^_^ Hope you enjoy this chapter and review more!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FMA… sad for me lol

**Title: **A New College Life

**Pairing: **Roy x Ed

**Summary: **Ed leaves his family in Risembol to enter a college in Central City where he learns to become a science major. While in Central City he meets his new friends and starts something new. Unfortunately, with new friends comes new feelings and some things are sometimes best hidden from families.

**Info: **AU. Ed has real limbs. Everyone in here is in their twenty's for ages. Trisha is still alive in this story and their dad left when they were younger.

Chapter Four

Ed walked into the garage as he tied his hair back into a single pony-tail, his mind wandering to the images of Roy kissing him from the week before. He hadn't heard anything from his friends over the weekend; he told himself not to worry about anything but that was much easier said than done. Nearly the entire weekend after they had parted ways for Roy to take his exam, he had spent trying to convince himself that it was just the alcohol talking that night. Though he couldn't quite hide the fact that whenever he thought about the kiss a blush would rise to his face and his stomach would feel weird. He had berated himself for acting like a love-sick puppy when he would feel that way but his mother had always told him to trust his feelings and go by what his heart told him. He really didn't know what to make of the whole drunken Roy and the fact that he had allowed the man to get him drunk as well. It was true that he liked hanging out with the man and found him interesting enough but to spend the night drinking with him now seemed a bit much.

_You need to focus, Ed, _he said to himself as he checked the engine.

He worked on the car for a while with some semblance of focus until the radio in the back of the shop stopped playing. Swearing, he stood up and pushed his hair from his face with a grease covered hand leaving a streak across his forehead. Wiping his hands on a rag, he turned the corner around the car and stopped dead in his tracks when he looked up.

"Roy? What are you doing here?"

Not four feet in front of him, stood Roy, the man that he was trying to get out of his head at the moment but doesn't something always happen this way when you are trying not to think of something. He felt his throat dry up as he stood there staring at him looking like an idiot.

"Didn't I tell you that you look better with your hair down?" Roy chuckled, comforting and soft.

"I have to have it pulled back for work," he replied quietly as he reached up and touched his hair.

Nodding, Roy walked up to Ed and wiped his finger across his greasy forehead. "Hm, a job that gets you dirty," he said, smiling. "I think I like that."

Blushing, Ed took a few steps back and used the rag in his hands to wipe his forehead off before moving back to the car where Roy couldn't see him.

_Great job, Ed, _he thought to himself. _Running away is always a good idea._

"You know," Roy said as he followed him around the car. "It's kind of sexy the way you blush when I talk to you."

He could feel his face growing a brighter red as he tried to keep his back turned toward Roy. Trying his hardest to ignore man standing not too far behind him, he continued to work on the engine. He felt the onyx eyes of the man boring into his back as he worked.

"Did you need something?" Ed finally asked his voice shaky and nervous.

"Not really," was the reply. "I was bored so I figured I'd come visit where you work. Jean told me so I wanted to see for myself. Though, it does seem like I've made quite the impression on you."

"Impression?" Ed questioned before making the mistake of taking his eyes off the engine and looking into Roy's. His gaze was held by the darker orbs.

Nodding, Roy stepped closer to the blond, smiling as he did so. "Yeah," he whispered, taking his hand and lifting Ed's face to look at him. "I think it went something like this."

The gap was closed and Ed, once again, felt those lips press against his. This kiss was different than the others, the others he could taste the alcohol on the man's lips but now, now it was nice and pleasant. He tasted the sweat of the man in front of him and surprisingly he liked what was happening. His stomach was doing flips but it felt good. Closing his eyes, he leaned into the kiss and gasped slightly when he felt the man pull away.

"You're surprised," Roy said, his face still close to Ed's. "I like that look on you."

Ed opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted when Roy's phone rang. He heard the man groan before answering and walking away. For a moment he watched the man talk on the phone before turning back and continuing to try to work on the engine. Half-listening to Roy and half-working, he tried his best not to obviously eavesdrop.

"Dinner?" He could hear the grumbling in the man's voice. "I don't want to go on another one of your dates, Maes."

Ed finished working and shut the hood of the engine before turning to watch Roy. After a bit, he could somewhat hear what Maes was saying on the other end.

Roy glanced at Ed before smiling. "You know what, Maes, I'll be there. What time?"

Ed watched as the man ended his phone call and moved back to stand in front of him.

"Maes wants me to join him and Gracia for dinner tonight," Roy said smoothly, looking Ed straight in the eyes. "Will you join us?"

Looking into Roy's eyes, he could do nothing more than nod to the man. His thoughts were moving through his brain a mile a minute, making it difficult to focus on just one at a time.

"Good." Roy smiled before leaning down and kissing Ed on his cheek. "I'll pick you up at seven tonight at your place."

Again, Ed just nodded before watching the man walk out of the garage. Once Roy made it out of sight, that's when his knees decided to give way allowing him to fall onto his butt. _I just accepted a dinner date, _he thought to himself as he stared off into space.

Hours later, he found himself rushing around his apartment getting ready to go to dinner with Roy. He was nervous and really had no idea why he was doing what he was doing. His hair was still slightly damp from his shower as he stopped to stare at himself in the mirror. The grease from the morning work was gone but he could still feel the lingering touch of the man's hand on his forehead and the kiss. Moving away from the mirror, he pulled a good pair of jeans from his dresser and a plain red button down shirt from the closet to dress.

"Calm down, Ed," he said out loud to himself as he dressed. "It's just dinner…"

He was brought out of his musings by a knock on the front door. Grabbing a comb, he glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was nearing seven so it must be Roy at the door. He took a deep breath before moving to open the door.

"Hello, Edo," Roy greeted with a smile.

"Hello," Ed replied, pulling the comb through his hair. He stared at Roy as he entered the small apartment. His hair was slick back and he wore a pair of black slacks and a deep blue polo shirt. It made the man look amazing and Ed couldn't help but stare.

"Are you going to leave your hair down?" Roy asked, stopping to lean on the kitchen counter.

"No, it's too weird," he replied as he finished combing his hair and pulling in back in a simply pony-tail.

"I think you look nice with your hair down," the man said, his voice close now.

"Roy?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you not stand so close all the time?" Ed asked with nervousness filling his voice. "I don't know how to act when you do that."

He felt Roy stand and move a bit away. "Of course," he answered, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants. "I'll try not to stand so close."

"I didn't mean it in a bad way," Ed said suddenly, turning to look at him. "It's just that I've never been in this type of situation before."

"Really, there weren't any girlfriends back home?"

"No," he replied, shaking his head as he was the older man.

"So that kiss was you…"

"First, yes."

"Shit," Roy swore as he turned away from Ed.

Ed watched the man seem to have a small inner battle with himself. Before he could stop himself, he spoke. "It was a good kiss."

Roy stopped and turned back to face Ed. "Still, it shouldn't have been a drunk kiss for your first."

"It's alright," Ed stated, grabbing his jacket from the rack next to the door and slipping it on.

Sighing, Roy shook his head and moved to the door. "C'mon, let's go before I get a call about being late."

As the pair made their way out of the apartment building, Ed couldn't help but wonder why Roy had decided to give the attention to him. He looked like a guy who could get anyone that he wanted so why would he go after a new guy like him.

"Does Maes know you're bringing me to dinner?" Ed asked, trying to keep an awkward silence from falling between them.

"I didn't exactly tell him who I was bringing tonight," was the simple reply. "I figured he would guess by now who I was going to bring which is probably why he invited me. Maes and Gracia are quite harmless when they are apart but once they are together evil is made."

Ed laughed at that, bringing another smile out on Roy's face.

"It would probably be a safe bet that one or both of them know by now and have some even plan plotted out," Roy continued as they made their way down the road. "Though, in the group of friends that we have, Maes is the brains of the outfit when it comes to information and secrets. Jean is a maniac and I am well…" He glanced down at Ed. "I'm the expert in flirting."

"Flirting?" Ed was confused. Did Roy like him or was this just a plan to keep flirting with people.

"Have you even been on a date, Ed?" Roy avoided his question, navigating through the city toward the small restaurant.

"No," he replied, shaking his head as he tried his best to follow Roy through the crowds. "I was always focused on studying and work."

Roy paused slightly, taking Ed's hand in his own and lacing their fingers together. "Well, now, you'll have plenty of time to study once classes start again so let's make your first date one to remember."

Nodding, Ed walked hand in hand with Roy the rest of the way to the restaurant. He was oblivious of the looks that they were getting from the people who passed by them. His mind was full of Roy, questions about Roy and questions that he wasn't sure that they would ever be answered.

_What have I gotten myself into? _

TBC…

**AN: **This one also took a bit to rewrite and get to how I wanted it to turn out; however, I'm hoping that the rest comes out better than this. It will pick up more in the upcoming chapters I promise you. :D

Next up: Dinner with Maes and Gracia ^_^


	5. Chapter 5

As a treat I have decided to put this chapter up early! I hope you like it!

Thanks to everyone for reviewing for reviewing! I love you all and your reviews make writing and posting each chapter worth all the effort ^_^ Hope you enjoy this chapter and review more!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FMA… sad for me lol

**Title: **A New College Life

**Pairing: **Roy x Ed

**Summary: **Ed leaves his family in Risembol to enter a college in Central City where he learns to become a science major. While in Central City he meets his new friends and starts something new. Unfortunately, with new friends comes new feelings and some things are sometimes best hidden from families.

**Info: **AU. Ed has real limbs. Everyone in here is in their twenty's for ages. Trisha is still alive in this story and their dad left when they were younger.

Chapter Five

It didn't take long for them to arrive at the restaurant where Maes and Gracia were waiting for him. When they did arrive, Ed saw a glimmer in Maes' eyes as soon as he saw them. He watched as the man's eyes glanced at their intertwined hands before greeting them. At that moment, Ed knew what the man was thinking. He knew that Roy was going to bring him along. They all greeted each other before the waiter led them to their table in the back of the restaurant. The place was slightly fancy and with that, Ed felt like he hadn't dress appropriately at all despite Gracia's assurance that he was dressed fine. The dinner conversation was kept simple at first with school and work discussions. Dinners were ordered served before Maes really started to pick on Ed, being new to the group it was only customary.

"Just you wait," Maes chuckled, pointing at Ed with his fork. "You'll be taking just as many finals as the rest of us."

"True but I don't think I'll have any issues with them," he replied, smiling as he took a bite of his food.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I don't have any distractions," he stated, chuckling.

"She's just so pretty," was all the reply that he got before the man turned to coo over Gracia.

Gracia smacked Maes lightly on the shoulder and smiled. "You can't always use me as an excuse, Maes."

Beside him, Ed heard Roy laugh. "I didn't have a distraction either and I just barely passed some of them."

"You just need to study more," Ed stated before taking a sip of his water. "Jean told me about your study habits and they aren't the best if you want to pass finals."

"Oh? What did he say about them?"

Glancing at Maes and Gracia, he smiled before looking at Roy. "Just that they turn out to be more of a make out session than a study session," he said, doing his best to not blush at the thought.

Chuckling, Roy shook his head. "That's what I tell him," he said, taking a bit of his food. "I actually study hard for these things. I'm not a genius like some people so I do quite a bit of studying for these things."

"It's true," Maes agreed with a nod. "He may be the worst flirt out there but he's horrible when it comes to studying."

"Thanks," Roy said sarcastically as he moved to focus on his dinner.

Maes replied by sticking his tongue out at Roy before changing the conversation subject to different things all concerning Gracia. Ed was slightly jealous of the love that was shared between Maes and Gracia. The few occasions that he was witness to their loving ways, he could see just how much the two of them were meant for each other. Besides them, the only other real relationship he was privy to was Jean and Melissa and he had yet to really the two of them interact with each other. His brother Al had Winry but right now they were just friends but sometimes he had to wonder if it would end up being something more than that. He watched the way his mother had acted when they lost their dad and he wasn't sure if he could handle something like that but when he saw Maes and Gracia, he was truly jealous. He wanted that but he had no idea what having that really meant. Sighing, he picked up his water and took another sip, hoping that no one heard him.

"You know, sighing can be had for your health," he heard Roy say.

"What are you talking about?" Ed questioned, glancing up at Roy for only a moment before looking away.

"You've been watching those two all night," Roy replied, nodding toward Maes and Gracia. "Honestly, if you watch them too much their love will drive anyone nuts. Gracia is the only one that can snap Maes out of his ramblings but I think she likes it too much to stop him all the time."

"'Nuts' is a nice term for it."

Chuckling, Roy sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. "I've been friends with that man since we were kids and this is the one thing that I've seen him completely focused on. I call it an obsession but he calls it love. Makes you wonder what it's like for everyone."

For a moment, Ed thought, switching his gaze from the pair to Roy and back. After shoving another piece of chicken into his mouth, he sat back and looked down at his plate. "I think it would be different for everyone," he stated, his gaze not leaving his food. "Not everyone is going to react the same way when it happens to them."

"Much like you and me."

"Exactly," he said, turning to look at Roy. "I don't know anything about relationships. I've only seen these two together and I hear from Jean what it's like with Melissa but I don't understand it all."

He watched as Roy leaned into the table and smiled at him. "I can show you."

_I can show you. _Those words rang through Ed's head, confusing him. He didn't know what to say or what to do. This man, across from him, wanted to show him what it was like to be in a relationship but did Ed truly want him to. His mind was racing with thoughts but he wanted just one. What was his heart telling him about the situation that was playing out in reality at that moment?

"Anything you want to know," the man continued with a smile on his face, unaware of the plight in Ed's mind.

"Okay," he replied after a bit, his eyes not leaving Roy's.

A smile crossed Roy's face and with that he turned to finish his meal, the smiling never leaving.

Ed sat for a moment and stared before he turned to do the same thing. _You do realize that you just agreed to be this man's boyfriend, _his mind yelled at him. Had he? He wasn't a hundred percent sure but all he did know was that Roy had said he would show him what it was like to be in a relationship. It may not end up like Maes and Gracia but it was a start nonetheless.

They thought that they were safe from the prying eyes of Maes and Gracia since they had been so engrossed with each other before but they were mistaken. There was small smile shared between the two as they witnessed the scene across from the table. Maes knew of Roy's appreciation of both genders but with Ed he was guessing and considering how the night was going he guessed right. He and Gracia were masterful plotters and this was just the beginning of the plans that they had for the two. Maybe, he thought, this was just the relationship that Roy needed to keep him away from flirting with everything with two legs.

Dinner ended rather peacefully despite Maes shoving pictures in their faces of his and Gracia's last vacation. After a short farewell, Roy took Ed's hand in his own once again and they made their way out of the restaurant. The walk was rather quiet compared to the conversations that were going on during dinner. In all honestly, Ed wasn't quite sure what he had agreed to but he was hoping that it would turn out well. As a man who grew up with only knowing family and Jean anything else was foreign to him. His original nervousness was replaced with curiosity.

"Ed?"

"Yeah," he asked, turning to look at Roy.

"Let's go to the park for a bit," he said, pointing to the small park that was not far from his apartment. "I want to show you something."

"Alright," he replied, following closely to Roy.

Roy squeezed his hand as he led them through the park and into a small clearing by the pond.

When they stopped, Ed smiled. In front of them, dancing in the darkness was a small group of fireflies. He hadn't seen them since he was little and even then they didn't look like they did now. Moving to sit in the grass, Ed watched them dance. The sight was much different than when he was a kid, before he chased them around with Al and Winry, trying to catch them to put in jars but now it was more peaceful. It was nice to sit and watch them dance with someone else.

"I haven't seen these guys since I was little," he said when he heard Roy sit next to him. "Al, Winry and I used to chase them around trying to catch them."

"Al and Winry?"

"Yea, Al is my little brother and Winry, she's a childhood friend of ours," Ed explained, absently rubbing his arms. "This is the first real time that I'll be away from them for an extended period of time. It gets a bit lonely without Al yelling at me all the time."

"He must worry about you a lot," Roy said, chuckling, noticing the slight shiver in Ed's voice. "Are you cold?"

"Al's always worrying, that's why I call him every other night or so," Ed replied, turning to look at Roy. "It gets chilly at night despite the warm weather during the day, doesn't it?"

"Yes, you'd think it wouldn't since summer is right around the corner," Roy shrugged before putting an arm around Ed's shoulders and pulling him close.

A blush covered Ed's face as he leaned his head against Roy's shoulder. He quite liked the feeling of the man's arm around his shoulder and the comforting feeling that came along with it. Smiling to himself, he closed his eyes and listened to the breathing of the older man.

Roy could feel that Ed was starting to get heavier against his side. "C'mon," he said, shaking Ed a bit. "Let's get you home before you fall asleep and I have to carry you."

Ed smacked Roy's arm away as he stood up and stuck his tongue out at the man. "Yea, yea, I'm not gonna fall asleep."

He turned to walked out of the park and toward his home when he felt himself being turned quickly around. "Roy?"

"Edward," Roy whispered as he pulled the younger closer and used his fingers to tilt Ed's face up toward his own. Slowly, he leaned down and pressed his lips to Ed's, a soft caressing kiss. After a short while, he pulled back and smiled at Ed. "Let's get you home."

Nodding, Ed smiled at him and laced his hand in Roy's before they set off. Despite this all being new to him, he was going to try his best at this relationship. He didn't want to ruin the friendship that he already had with him and he wasn't really sure how this romance would progress for him. After a short walk they arrived at the door to Ed's apartment where he removed the key from his pocket and opened the door.

"Would you like to come in for a bit?" Ed asked as he pushed the door open.

Nodding, Roy followed him inside.

Ed threw the keys into the basket on the counter and removed his jacket to place on the rack by the door before taking a seat on the couch. He watched as Roy closed the door behind him and followed suite with his own jacket. The couch shifted a bit when he joined Ed. Reaching to his right, Ed picked up the remote and turned the television on. Nothing was on but neither cared. Roy had his arm around Ed's shoulders and Ed was leaned against him. It was there that they fell asleep, unaware of the emotions stirring within them.

TBC…..

**AN: **I love you all for loving this story and I love this story as well. Now I just have to figure out what happens next. All this and Ed hasn't even started school yet. Yikes! PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks to **everyone for reviewing for reviewing! I love you all and your reviews make writing and posting each chapter worth all the effort ^_^ Hope you enjoy this chapter and review more!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FMA… sad for me lol

**Title: **A New College Life

**Pairing: **Roy x Ed

**Summary: **Ed leaves his family in Risembol to enter a college in Central City where he learns to become a science major. While in Central City he meets his new friends and starts something new. Unfortunately, with new friends comes new feelings and some things are sometimes best hidden from families.

**Info: **AU. Ed has real limbs. Everyone in here is in their twenty's for ages. Trisha is still alive in this story and their dad left when they were younger.

Chapter Six

The next week flew by for Ed, he spent most of his time working at the garage with hopes to save up enough money for the books he'd need for class. This left very little time to relax at home or spend any time with his friends; especially Roy, who would show up randomly at his job to have lunch with him. Despite not being completely aware of what being in a relationship was like, he enjoyed Roy's company when his other friends were busy and couldn't hang out. After work, he spent his time speaking with his brother on the phone but he had yet to mention anything about a relationship because, in all honesty, he wasn't quite sure what it was between him and Roy yet. His boss at work had noticed that Roy was coming around at lunchtime and would pick on him, causing a light blush to cover his face whenever he did so. Ed tried his best to stay busy and out of the sight of his boss but there were some times when that just didn't work out in his best interest.

When Friday rolled around, he was excited and exhausted at the same time. It was his day off and he had every intention of staying in bed and sleeping his day away but of course no one was about to let that happen. Not long after his morning alarm clock woke him up, his cell rang.

"Hello," he said, his voice filled with sleep as he pushed himself out of bed.

**Hello, brother. **Alphonse cheery voice sounded on the other end.

"Are you always this happy in the morning," he asked as he ran his hand through his hair.

**Just to bug you. How are you doing?**

"Fine, today's my first day off in a while," Ed replied as he made his way out to sit on the couch. "I had planned on staying in bed all day but you and the alarm clock woke me up."

Alphonse laughed. **You can't sleep away your day, brother. Don't you have friends or someone to hang out with?**

"I don't know if the guys are busy or not," he stated as he leaned his head back onto the back of the couch. "Roy works this morning so I can't even spend time with him yet."

**Roy? Who is Roy?**

_Crap. _Ed thought to himself, realizing what he had done. "Um, just a friend, that's all."

**If he was just a friend, brother, you wouldn't have singled him out from your other friends.**

"You know what Al," Ed stammered, "I just remembered that I have to do something. I'll call you later, love you." He quickly hung up the phone, feeling bad for doing that to his brother but right now he really didn't want to talk to his family about Roy because he wasn't quite sure what to call it yet.

With a loud sigh, he pushed himself up off the couch and placed his phone of the coffee table before moving into the bathroom for a shower. After stripping and stepping in under the hot water, he ran his hands through his hair. The hot water flowing over his body was relaxing and the steam helped clear his head. _What am I supposed to tell Al and mom? I don't know what Roy and I are; I don't know how to explain it. We spend time together and not just how I would hang out with Jean or the others. _Grumbling, he squeezed shampoo in his hands and began to wash his hair. _Maybe I'll introduce them when they come out to visit in a few weeks before school starts._ His shower was meant to be relaxing but it seemed like this one was nothing but confusing. His mind was confused about Roy and what to really say to his family.

He stepped out of the shower and quickly dressed when he heard a loud rap against his door. As he dried his hair with a towel, he moved to the living room and opened the front door. He was quite surprised at the people who stood outside his door, greeting him with smiles and waves.

"Good morning, Ed," Jean stated as he moved passed him and into the small apartment.

"Morning, Edo," Maes cheered as he too entered.

Ed looked out into the hallway, slightly expecting the other two to show up.

"Breda and Alex are busy getting stuff ready," Jean said when he saw where Ed was looking. "They'll be there later."

"Ready? Ready for what?" He questioned, slightly worried about what kind of answer that he was going to get.

"Roy's birthday party," Maes answered, taking a seat on the couch. "We've come to collect you to help get things ready and make sure that you get him a gift."

Ed placed the towel he had been using on the kitchen counter and picked up the comb off the end table next to the couch to run through his hair. All the while, he was giving both Jean and Maes skeptical looks.

"Why do I need to help and get him a gift?"

"We've all bought him something," Jean explained, staring at him. "You're his friend so you should get him something."

"Yeah, well," Ed stammered, shaking his head. "I don't know what I'd get for him."

"You could get him a book," Maes suggested. "He likes reading in his free time when he gets it. There's a book down at the bookstore that I've seen him looking at."

Ed thought about it for a moment. A book wouldn't be too bad of a gift seeing how they just started whatever they were doing. He wasn't even sure if Maes knew about what they said to each other the other night nor was he sure if the other guys knew about anything.

"Yea, sure," he replied, smiling a bit. "That sounds fine but I still don't understand why you're here so early."

"Because we didn't want you to run off and see Roy before any of us," Maes teased him as he stood. "Besides, now that you know about the party you can't go and see him. He doesn't know about the party and we don't want you to tell him anything."

Ed sent Maes a glare before sighed and running his hand over his eyes. "Fine, just give me a moment," he sighed before moving to pull his hair back away from his face into the same ponytail he's been wearing it in. He moved into his bedroom, grabbed the jacket that was hung on the back of his computer chair then returned and picked up his phone and shoved it into his back pocket. "Why don't we go get the book first then I'll help you guys with whatever you want."

The trio moved from the apartment to the small bookstore down the street from the college. There were a few people in there but it seemed like most of the people there were people that the Jean and Maes knew from school. Ed was silent as the other two chatted away. He looked at a few books and then found the one that Maes was talking about. Picking it up, he chuckled at the title 'Flame Dragon'. _Really, Roy? This is the title of the book you wanted, _he thought to himself. _Somehow it fits your personality. _After a short while he made his way up to the register and paid for the book and a small gift bag to put it in before joining the others by the door. The group spent the afternoon look through a few stores, picking on Ed and trying to come up with some stuff to do that evening.

"So you guys are telling me that all you have planned for a party tonight is alcohol?" Ed questioned, raising an eyebrow at the two. "You do know that I am not old enough yet to drink, right?"

"Not twenty-one yet, eh?" Jean chuckled, shaking head. "Maes and I will buy the alcohol. You can to the movie store and get us something to watch while we drink and eat."

"You guys are crazy," was the reply the younger blonde gave. "Let's at least play a game or something."

"What kind of game can a group of guys play, Ed?" Maes questioned when they stopped in front of the liquor store. "We play for a different team than you, if you know what I mean."

A blush rose to Ed's cheeks before he lightly punched the guy in the shoulder. "Shut up, Maes, you know what I mean. Besides, I have no idea the only birthday party's I've gone to have been for family. Other than Jean I haven't really had any friends besides family."

They laughed, both clapping Ed on the back before waving and entering the store without another word.

Rolling his eyes, Ed headed toward the video store. "Those guys are so annoying," he said to himself as he pulled out his phone and dialed up his home.

After a few rings, he heard his mother answer.

**Elric Residence.**

"Hey mom," he said, smiling.

**Edward, you know your brother told me you hung up on him this morning. **She stated, her voice was full of disappointment and happiness.

"I know. I'm sorry. That's kind of why I called."

**I'll get him in a moment but tell me how have you been, Ed. I have missed you so much.**

"I've missed you, too, mom. It's been busy here," Ed replied as he nodded to the lady at the counter of the video store. "I met all of Jean's friends except for his girlfriend; he won't let me meet her yet."

**Oh my, what did you do?**

"Nothing, he's just afraid that I will steal her away from him but that'll never happen."

**Is everything alright? You sound a bit depressed.**

"Yes, everything's fine. Just have a lot on my mind right now with starting school soon and working at the shop." Ed sighed, shaking his head. "Look, you guys should come out to visit soon. It's really pretty here and I think you'd enjoy the shops. I know a great bakery that I can take you guys to."

**Edward. **He could hear the doubt in her voice as she said his name. **I'm sure your brother would love to come out to visit soon. **

"Mom…" He paused, taking in a deep breath before he continued. "Tell Al that I am sorry for hanging up on him. I have someone for you guys to meet when you get here. Just let me know when you guys plan on coming out so I can make sure to have the place ready."

**Of course, I love you.**

"I love you, too." Ed hung up the phone and sighed again. After placing the phone back into his pocket he picked up a few horror movies and then made his way back to the liquor store to wait for the guys. Truth be told, he hadn't yet been to Roy's so he had no idea where the man lived and now he had told his mother that there was someone he wanted them to meet. There was no doubt that his mother would catch on to what type of person that was but it was the fact that they'd be Roy that didn't help his anxiety. Shaking his head he took a seat on the bench by the rode and stared out at the moving traffic.

He'd soon have to tell his mom and brother about Roy and what was he going to say to them. That he was gay and dating Roy. _No, _he thought to himself. _I don't know what I am actually. _At least he had a week or so until he figured that they would be out to see him. That was plenty of time to ready his apartment and talk to Roy about everything. He wasn't quite ready to dump this on either his family or Roy but it was going to happen sooner or later, for that he was sure. Alphonse would've found out somehow even if he didn't tell him.

"At least tonight should keep my mind off of everything," he said to no one in particular. "I should just let myself have some fun."

"Come on, Ed!" He heard Jean yell from behind him. "Let's go get you drunk."

Smiling, he stood and followed the guys down the street. Tonight was going to be one to remember. He was just hoping that he could keep himself under check and not let anything get out of hand.

TBC…

**AN: **Thank you for your reviews! :D Please review again and let me know what you think! I'll update faster knowing that people love this story and hopefully now that the laptop and my tablet are playing nice I will be able to get a chapter up every Saturday at least! R&R and of course tell your friends!


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks to **everyone for reviewing for reviewing! I love you all and your reviews make writing and posting each chapter worth all the effort ^_^ Hope you enjoy this chapter and review more!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own FMA… sad for me lol

**Title: **A New College Life

**Pairing: **Roy x Ed

**Summary: **Ed leaves his family in Risembol to enter a college in Central City where he learns to become a science major. While in Central City he meets his new friends and starts something new. Unfortunately, with new friends comes new feelings and some things are sometimes best hidden from families.

**Info: **AU. Ed has real limbs. Everyone in here is in their twenty's for ages. Trisha is still alive in this story and their dad left when they were younger.

Chapter Seven

Jean, Maes and Ed met Alex and Breda at the entrance to Roy's apartment building just before it was time for Roy to get home. Alex and Breda had, for lack of a better term, broken into Roy's place to put up a few decorations around the place before meeting them. They wore smiles on their faces to show that they were successful in whatever their mind had come up with and Ed was slightly worried. The group climbed the two flights of stairs, chatting the whole way until they reached the third floor. Once they reached the last door on the left of the long hallway, Maes pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. Ed was the last one through the door and frankly, he was surprised that the place was a lot simpler than he thought it would be. There was a simple couch and love seat next to a small coffee table. The kitchen was small with a two person table set at the far corner out of the way. As he looked around the place, he had forgotten that he was the only one who hadn't really seen the place before.

"Close the door, Edo," Maes said as he moved into the kitchen. "We want to surprise Roy."

"Oh… yeah." Ed pushed the door closed behind him before he moved further into the apartment. "Where should I put these?" He lifted the bag of movies and his gift.

"I'll take the movies," Jean chirped, grabbing the bag from Ed's gripped before he moved to take a seat on the couch.

"Put the gift on the table," Maes replied, pointing to the kitchen table after he sat the alcohol on the counter. "I'll get the drinks ready."

Ed moved to the table and placed the simple bag next to the couple that were already sitting there. After placing the gift on the table, he walked over to the kitchen and stood next to Maes.

"What are you making?" He asked as he leaned against the counter.

"Have you ever drunk before?" Maes questioned as he set the cups out with the drinks. He knew full well that Roy had taken alcohol to the young man's apartment not too long ago but thought it was a good idea to bring it up.

"Not really," was the reply. "I mean, there was that one night with Roy but…" He paused, his face grew slightly red. "Besides, my mom isn't too thrilled about alcohol and I'm not twenty-one yet."

"Hmm, a newbie then. Well I guess we will see how you handle your alcohol," the man chuckled in reply before turning away from him to throw out the bag.

Ed opened his mouth to say something else but the giggling of the doorhandle earn the attention of everyone in the room. Glancing at Jean, he saw that everyone was now hiding the best that they could from Roy. When he moved to crouch behind the counter with Maes, the man pushed him out in front of the door and hid himself just as the door flew open. Turning to look at Roy, Ed tried to smile as he scratched the back of his head.

"How'd you get in here?" Roy asked as he pushed the door closed and removed his shoes.

"Well, Maes let me in," he replied, not quite a lie.

"Maes, uh? This by chance wouldn't have anything to do with my birthday, would it?" Roy smiled before moving closer to Ed and placing a small kiss on the man's cheek. "Or the fact that there is alcohol on my counter that wasn't there when I left this morning?"

He felt his cheeks grow red as he watched the man pass him and move to this side of the counter.

"Hughes, you know that Ed can't legally buy alcohol so come out of hiding," Roy stated, leaning against the counter a bit to peer over the top.

Maes stood and stuck his tongue out at his friend. "I know but wasn't it a nice surprise to come home and see Edo waiting for you?" This time, he winked at Ed as the younger man's face grew even redder than before.

"Yes it was," Roy replied, glaring at his friend. "Is everyone else here, too?"

Nodding, Maes yelled for the rest to come out of hiding. Alex greeted the man with a tight hug and the others just wished him a happy birthday and rapped him on the back.

Jean soon moved over to Ed and placed his arm around his shoulders. "Do you wanna open your presents, Roy?"

"I don't know if I trust you enough to open them in front of people," Roy mumbled as he turned around and saw Ed just standing there with his shoulder's occupied by the other man's arm.

"Aw, come on now," he laughed in reply. "I didn't get you anything embarrassing this year."

"Jean, you always get him something embarrassing," Maes pointed out, chuckling before walking up and grabbing Ed's hand. "Now, follow me into the kitchen and you and I will get the drinks ready, okay, Ed?"

Nodding, Ed allowed himself to be led into the kitchen away from the other guys. He stood next to Maes by the counter but watched the other guys move to the living room and crowded around the couch. He had noticed the tick in Roy's eye when he noticed Jean's arm around his shoulders but he wasn't quite sure why they man would give him that look.

"Look, Ed," Maes said quietly as he began to pour the drinks. "Roy may be the notorious playboy of the group but he is an incredibly jealous guy when it comes to dating."

"He doesn't have anything to be jealous about," was Ed's reply, shaking his head. "I mean, I don't know much about dating in the entirety of it all."

"Well, there's a lot he doesn't know, too," the older man stated before handing him a glass with a smile. "He's dated a lot which is true but he has only had one other relationship that last more than a month. It'll be good for him. Let's go join the fun."

Ed watched as Maes passed him before he turned to follow him out to the couch. When he got to the couch, Roy had pushed Jean from the seat next to him so that Ed could take his place. Smiling, he took his seat and thanked Roy before he found the cup missing from his hand.

"What are you feeding him, Maes?"

"Nothing lethal, don't get your panties in a bunch."

Roy took a small sip of the liquid in Ed's glass before nodding and handing it back. "I approve."

"What?" Ed took the glass back and stared at Roy for a moment.

"It's okay," the man replied, smiling. "Now, let's have some fun!"

The group crowded around the couch in front of the TV, Roy shoved Jean off the couch so that he and Ed could sit there while the movie played. Jean stuck the first movie into the DVD player and pressed play. He moved back on the floor and leaned back against the couch next to Roy's legs.

"Are you going to be okay, Jean?" Maes teased, pushing the man with his foot.

"Yeah, yeah…" Jean stuck his tongue out at the other before pushing the foot away.

Hours later, Ed found himself sitting on the couch beside Roy with the lights off and the movie on. When Ed glanced down at the two he could see Havoc trying to scooch his way behind Maes, as if to hide himself. Chuckling, he leaned back next to Roy but not close and not far from him. It wasn't long before he found Roy's arm around his shoulders pulling him close.

"I'm not gonna attack you or anything, Ed," Roy whispered into Ed's when he felt the younger stiffen up a bit. "Relax, okay?"

Ed nodded and moved so he could get comfortable leaning on Roy. He had to admit that it was very comfortable and warm leaning against him, not to mention it felt very romantic despite the others being in the room.

"Very good choice of movie," the man added in the same hushed voice, taking a sip of his drink. "Jean, stop pushing on my legs, go find someone else to hide behind."

Raising his eyebrow, Ed glanced down at the man in questioned who had moved a bit away from Roy's legs.

"Jean's afraid of horror movies," Roy laughed. "You wouldn't think it but he is."

"I've never really watched movies before," Ed admitted, staring at the screen. "I was always hanging around with my brother getting into trouble and whatnot."

He heard Roy chuckle. "Don't kill me when you try to hide behind me, all right?"

Turning, he glared at Roy. "What makes you think I will be scared?"

Roy leaned in closer to Ed's face, glancing down to see that Maes was focused on his drink and the TV. "Because," Roy started, "If you are, then I can cuddle up closer to you and have a damned good reason."

A blush crossed over Ed's cheeks.

Planting a feathery kiss on Ed's lips, Roy smiled as he sat back up to watch the movie.

Ed stared at him for a moment longer, before turning to watch the movie. Needless to say, he wished Roy was right and that he did get scared. Even if it was just an excuse to cuddle up more to Roy, he didn't mind. Roy was right about the movie; the more it progressed the more Ed grew scared. Who knew that he would be scared by a movie, he obviously didn't and Roy seemed to be rather enjoying the fact. It didn't help that they were all nearly completely drunk halfway through the movie. Jean had the excuse, during the scarier parts that he was going to go get another round of drinks for everyone before hiding behind Maes. Ed had no such excuse, so he did the only thing he could do. Hide.

Roy kept his arm around Ed, squeezing him tighter when he felt the boy tense at the different parts of the movie. Even through his drunken haze he could still read the Ed's reactions to the movie. When the movie ended, Ed and Jean had managed to get completely behind their "saviors." Both Maes and Roy were laughing now, along with Ed and Jean who were drunk. The others just as drunk as these four and laughing just as much. An entire movie, watched in a drunken haze and they had made it out alive. Now with the lights off, the TV turned off, and the time of day, the room they were in was completely dark.

Jean stood to move toward the wall to turn on the light but managed to trip over the coffee table causing him to fall to the floor. Maes was laughing too hard to care about the fact that it was completely dark and that Jean had just fell. He fell onto his side, laughing. Roy stood up off the couch and turned around, thinking it best to stay near the couch or else he would end up on the floor as well. Of course, when a group of guys are in one room and drunk, nothing good can come from it.

Ed made the mistake of moving right after Roy had gotten up, not know that Roy was in front of him. He knocked over Roy, who incidentally fell over Maes who was lying on the floor. With a few loud bangs and such, the floor was now littered in drunken guys, laying all over each other. Laughter filled the small room.

"Oye, Jean, get your foot out of my face," Maes said, laughing.

"Roy? Are you okay?" Ed asked with laughter in his voice. He had never really felt like this, his head was light and he didn't really care about anything at the moment.

"Come on, guys," Roy said, grunting as he tried to move but found himself laying on top of Maes with Ed on his back. "We shouldn't be laying on each other."

"We're drunk," Jean nearly yelled, "what do I care?"

Another round of laughter and Ed managed to get himself off of Roy long enough to get back onto the couch. He could feel his head beginning to get light, though he enjoyed the feeling a bit. Felt as if there was some weight lifted off his shoulders, guess that's what getting drunk does to a person. He felt the other end of the couch move and glanced down to see only the outline of a figure sitting on the last cushion.

"Roy?"

No answer.

"Roy?"

More movement came and he found himself underneath Jean who thought that Ed needed a major tickle attack at that moment. Laughter rang out throw the room as Jean tortured Ed with his tickle attack which he named "Tickle attack of doom." The man was insane, not much more to say about it. Jean managed to get Ed onto the floor where Maes seemed to think they were wrestling and joined in on the act, much to Ed's dismay. Alex and Breda sat back and laughed at the pile of guys on the floor. Now it was a battle of two against one and Roy seemed to have gone missing.

"Roy!" Ed yelled, his voice slurred, between fits of laughter. "Roy, help me!"

"Mwahahahaha," Maes laughed, standing up and swaying while he did so. "Roy will not save you, his is in the bathroom!"

"No," Ed managed to get out, wiggling out of Jean's hold. He couldn't stop his laughter, they were torturing him, yes but he was having fun. "Can't catch me!"

On wobbly feet, Ed managed to get away from the two and found himself leaning against the door of a very clean bedroom. He could hear Jean and Maes arguing on the other side about whether just to leave him in there and wait for him to come out or to try to get the door open. After a short while, he heard them agree to get another drink while they wait for their victim to come out. Breathing a sigh of relief, at least he would have a little bit of peace; he moved away from the door and moved around the room. As he moved around the room, he held onto the furniture, trying to keep himself stable. He knew he was safer a bit longer before the other two would come and find him again once they have had their drink.

Letting go of the dresser, he stumbled over to the bed and fell on top of it, finding it very soft. Swinging his feet up, he lay on the bed, smiling.

_This alcohol is really getting to me, _he thought to himself. _I smell Roy._

As he lay there, lingering in the smell of coffee and cologne on the bed sheets his mind wandered to the man in the bathroom. It wasn't long before his eyelids grew heavy and he drifted off into a dreamless sleep, completely unaware of the company he had.

"Should we wake him," Jean asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"No," Roy said in a surprisingly smooth voice. "It's late now; you guys should go pass out in the living room."

Maes laughed quietly, patting him on the back. "Don't have too much fun, there, Royboy."

Roy shook his head as he pulled the door closed behind him and made his way over to the bed. Smiling, he leaned down and placed a kiss on Ed's forehead before climbing in bed on the other side. He felt the smaller man shift as the bed moved and soon felt a body very close to his own. Carefully, he reached his arm over and wrapped it around Ed's waist and pulled him in closer to him. The warmth was nice and the feeling of love was even better. For him, the party had been a success, he just wanted really one thing for his birthday and that was Ed. He soon drifted off into the same dreamless sleep.

**AN: It took a bit longer than I wanted to get this one out than I wanted but life interrupts sometimes. I am sorry! Please review this and let me know what you think. The next chapter will jump a bit but that will be explained at the beginning of the next chappy! :D Thanks for reading!**


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